Check it out, by all means

A letter writer in Monday’s paper says voters in the May 21 Medford School Board election should “ignore the Mail Tribune.” She goes on to label our coverage as a “smear machine,” so it’s pretty obvious which candidate she’s supporting. Definitely not one we’re supporting. You can read my earlier blogs to figure out who we’re talking about, but it’s not really relevant to this piece.

She says instead of following the MT’s endorsements, voters should do their own research. To that we say, go for it. The more independent research you do, the better. Read the Voters’ Pamphlet, check out candidates’ websites and campaign material, read news stories — in short, do whatever you can to figure out what the candidates are really about.

We would add to that list, watch the videos on our website. There’s a lot you can glean from the demeanor of the candidates, as well as what they have to say.

As for whether to follow our editorial recommendations, I’d first say that we’re not telling you how to vote, we’re telling you who we think would make the best school board members. We also offer a brief idea of why we think that way, which should give you a hint about whether our idea of a good candidate matches yours. We do have one advantage in all this: We get to sit across the table from the candidates and see them in action. That sometimes can tell you more than all their campaign materials put together.

So, yes, check out other sources, as many as you have time for. But there are several Mail Tribune sources — stories, videos, editorials — that you should include in that effort if you really want to get the full picture.